It's been a while since I posted. That bugs me since I promised myself I'd blog at least 2-3 times a week if not every day. I know it annoys me when I look at a blog I like and it's not been updated. (I was a spoiled child too lol)
So, what's going on at the Campbell household? Well, my two oldest girls are visiting their Aunt and Uncle in Long Island, NY along with their Grandmother (my MIL). The first full day they were there, their uncle surprised the girls with taking them to a Nickelback concert with Saving Able, Hinder and Papa Roach. On the beach. Sounded pretty awesome. They're set to go deep sea fishing sometime soon as well. They'll be visiting the City and they both plan on getting their hair cut and styled. I have no idea what they'll look like when they get back. But you're only a kid once. Have fun!
Christopher left the day after the girls left (Faelyn left with them to stay at their grandpa's). Christopher was away for two nights and 3 days on a business trip with a bunch of other managers from two districts. So, for that time, it was just Zoe and me here alone. It was kind of cool really. I got paid while he was gone, so Zoe and I went grocery shopping together and paid some bills. The rest of the time I used to get caught up on TONS of laundry and straighten up my house, especially my bedroom. I didn't get a whole lot done, but my desk area looks a little better. I got a lot of reading done too. It was nice to have Christopher home though. He had some great stories to tell about hanging out with the other managers after hours. I love that he's able to finally experience these things after all the years he's put into the company. I think he had a lot of fun and got to relax and hobnob and he learned a lot at the conference.
Faelyn was supposed to stay with her grandpa and hang out and keep him company while Grandma was gone to NY, and she was supposed to feed and water the animals. When I went to get her to bring her home for the weekend, she said she didn't want to go back. She was spoiled long enough to be a little bratty, but it's wearing off now. I picked her up on Friday since we had a get together on Saturday she was invited to.
I had also planned on baking biscotti Friday since we were having the get together here and a good friend of mine would be coming and she loves biscotti. However, I woke up later than I'd hoped, and it took longer to get Faelyn and get back home than I'd have liked as well. I did however have all the laundry caught up, so when she came home and unpacked, her dirty clothes went right into the hampers, and she had plenty of clean clothes in her drawers and closet as well as what she'd left in her suitcase unworn. That was a nice feeling. I can't recall ever being able to unload a suitcase as soon as it comes in the door before!
I worked on getting my kitchen all cleaned up from dinner and all before Christopher got home from work after 10pm and we got to have our date night movie. We both love British mysteries (I MUCH prefer them to these American cop shows that are gory and crude). I can get tons of variety in them with my Blockbuster Online account too, so we watched the one we'd just gotten in the mail, a Midsommer Murders DVD. I had made him some homemade hummus to go with crackers during the movie, but the flavor was a little off. I felt so bad. Men can be pretty picky with their foods and don't mind telling you about it, but he was nice. I just wish it had been "perfect" (if there is such a thing). So I will try again next time. Maybe a recipe would help hmmmm. hehe.
We had to get a (relatively) early night since I had to get up early Saturday to go buy a couple of rugs. It seems our kitchen sink decided to start leaking. The sink is in a peninsula type thing that kind of separates the living/dining room from the kitchen (though it's still open from counter and up so it looks quite open and all one space). Unfortunately the leak wasn't noticed until we felt that the carpet between the counter and the dining table was sopping wet. Christopher tried tightening it as best he could. We were not going to deal with paying a plumber on a weekend and we had 5 guests coming over Saturday afternoon. So, I went out Saturday morning and bought a couple of runners to go over the wet carpet.
When I returned home, I vacuumed the living room and hallways really well and dusted. Dishes were done, kitchen clean, it was a nice cool day (72F in July!) and we had the windows open so it was nice and airy rather than being all stuffy from the central H&A. When friends started showing up with food for munching on, my friend Kristen and I (she's the only other girl in our group) started working on snacks. She got the broccoli and cauliflower and other veggies cut up to snack on while I made a huge salad. We try to eat sort of healthy at least. We did also have bags of chips, cheese curls, and tortilla chips with lots of salsa and queso. When we get together, we EAT LOL. I made my favorite Cashew Chicken for dinner with a big platter of brown long grain rice, and I made a loaf of cheese bread. None of us went hungry Saturday!
Just as I put the dish-washing detergent in the dishwasher and was about to turn it on, I heard water. When I opened the kitchen cabinet under the sink, it was pouring down! I told Christopher who excused himself from the party and cane to check it out. he didn't want to try yo fiddle with it during the party, so we decided to turn off the water and deal with it later. Unfortunately with all the food and drink, that meant lots of trips to the bathroom - so poor Faelyn was given the job to go to the manhole cover and turn the water on for the toilet and then off again. It was very unfun to have to announce to the whole group that you had to go to the bathroom. I could tell it bugged Christopher a lot, but I think everyone was OK with it overall. It happens to everyone.
After people went home, he worked on the leak til about 1am. It looked like it was fixed, so we turned on the water and went to bed. Well, I started my chicken and dumplings in the crock-pot first. My family reunion was Sunday.
This morning (Sunday), we were not able to drag ourselves out of bed to make it to Sunday school but we did make it to worship service. Before we left, we checked the water, it looked fine. Christopher and I worked together on shredding the chicken in the crock pot and adding the dumplings so they'd cook while we were at church. We got to church a little late, but that was OK really since it was the big ceremony day for the VBS. My kids hadn't been able to go to the VBS since our church is 30-45 minutes away, and I work nights so no transportation. The service was basically just all the kids' program which was cute. Then we came back home and noticed the leak was back, but not as bad, got the chicken and dumplings and headed for the reunion, 45 minutes away in the other direction!
It was good to see everyone though a lot of the people I normally see weren't there, sadly. Less and less people care about them anymore. There were a few kids there which is always good. I couldn't believe how big my sister's boys are getting.
While I was there, I was told by my brother and sister that an aunt had passed away and they hadn't been able to reach me. They had told Corina who's in NY, but she never told me. I missed the funeral and everything. I do feel bad, and I resent them all my email address and phone numbers. I know I had sent them before.
After the reunion, we had to go to my in-law's house to let Faelyn feed the animals again. She wouldn't stay the night again, and grandpa had bought a ton of snack foods for her to eat while she was there. So he just gave it to her to bring home. I still feel bad that she wouldn't stay. Now I have to drive back there on Tuesday so she can feed the animals again. I'm hoping she'll decide to stay then. My FIL also gave us a bookshelf today. We barely got it into the van, but it fit! He's clearing out a bunch of shelves from the library to accommodate more seating for actual people. I had planned on putting all the shelves he gives us in our bedroom which we're converting into a bedroom/library of our own, but since Faelyn really needed storage for her stuff (she keeps all her Christmas and birthday gifts and in original boxes!), we're putting it into the room she shares with Corina now.
Anyway, my FIL also told us to grab a bunch of paperback books and bring them home (so I kind of wish I did keep the bookshelf now.) It's weird to see people want to just give away books when they're such a collector's thing in our families. But he says he has 10 times as many books on his hard drive than what's in the library. I dunno, just doesn't feel the same to me. I have to have a real book.
So, back home we went finally. Well, we stopped at Lowe's first to get a roll of "Magic Tape" to seal the connections between the fixtures and hoses etc. It's worked well before, so figured it was worth a shot. I wish we had some of that Mighty Putty stuff. He ended up getting really upset with it, and it's obvious that we need to get a plumber out here to fix it and to fix the leaks in the two bathrooms. It's going to mean me having to get a new cash advance probably. I was looking forward to getting them paid off too.
So, tomorrow, Christopher goes back to work 8-5 including having to go to court for a shoplifting case he helped process since he was manager when it happened. And I have a ton of bills to pay, having to get a new cash advance, come home and call plumbers and see if any will come give me a free estimate or can something. I may have to go to Lowes and get a new faucet too. I hate the one I have and I think the connection to it may be part of the problem. I'm actually tempted to see if I can fix it myself and save us a TON of money. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. At least I was able to get one load of his work clothes washed and they're currently hanging in the bathroom drying (our dryer is still dead, BUT it's OK. I loving hanging them outside when I can).
My main problem is that though I was able to get one load of dishes washed, I never had time to unload it and reload it with the rest of the party dishes, so my sink and stove are full and covered in dirty dishes! I even told everyone we weren't using paper/styrofoam plates to be ecofriendly and because I could wash dishes easily... sigh. Yeah I think I need to see if I can fix it myself. Hey I watch DIY shows! Pray for me!
So, what's going on at the Campbell household? Well, my two oldest girls are visiting their Aunt and Uncle in Long Island, NY along with their Grandmother (my MIL). The first full day they were there, their uncle surprised the girls with taking them to a Nickelback concert with Saving Able, Hinder and Papa Roach. On the beach. Sounded pretty awesome. They're set to go deep sea fishing sometime soon as well. They'll be visiting the City and they both plan on getting their hair cut and styled. I have no idea what they'll look like when they get back. But you're only a kid once. Have fun!
Christopher left the day after the girls left (Faelyn left with them to stay at their grandpa's). Christopher was away for two nights and 3 days on a business trip with a bunch of other managers from two districts. So, for that time, it was just Zoe and me here alone. It was kind of cool really. I got paid while he was gone, so Zoe and I went grocery shopping together and paid some bills. The rest of the time I used to get caught up on TONS of laundry and straighten up my house, especially my bedroom. I didn't get a whole lot done, but my desk area looks a little better. I got a lot of reading done too. It was nice to have Christopher home though. He had some great stories to tell about hanging out with the other managers after hours. I love that he's able to finally experience these things after all the years he's put into the company. I think he had a lot of fun and got to relax and hobnob and he learned a lot at the conference.
Faelyn was supposed to stay with her grandpa and hang out and keep him company while Grandma was gone to NY, and she was supposed to feed and water the animals. When I went to get her to bring her home for the weekend, she said she didn't want to go back. She was spoiled long enough to be a little bratty, but it's wearing off now. I picked her up on Friday since we had a get together on Saturday she was invited to.
I had also planned on baking biscotti Friday since we were having the get together here and a good friend of mine would be coming and she loves biscotti. However, I woke up later than I'd hoped, and it took longer to get Faelyn and get back home than I'd have liked as well. I did however have all the laundry caught up, so when she came home and unpacked, her dirty clothes went right into the hampers, and she had plenty of clean clothes in her drawers and closet as well as what she'd left in her suitcase unworn. That was a nice feeling. I can't recall ever being able to unload a suitcase as soon as it comes in the door before!
I worked on getting my kitchen all cleaned up from dinner and all before Christopher got home from work after 10pm and we got to have our date night movie. We both love British mysteries (I MUCH prefer them to these American cop shows that are gory and crude). I can get tons of variety in them with my Blockbuster Online account too, so we watched the one we'd just gotten in the mail, a Midsommer Murders DVD. I had made him some homemade hummus to go with crackers during the movie, but the flavor was a little off. I felt so bad. Men can be pretty picky with their foods and don't mind telling you about it, but he was nice. I just wish it had been "perfect" (if there is such a thing). So I will try again next time. Maybe a recipe would help hmmmm. hehe.
We had to get a (relatively) early night since I had to get up early Saturday to go buy a couple of rugs. It seems our kitchen sink decided to start leaking. The sink is in a peninsula type thing that kind of separates the living/dining room from the kitchen (though it's still open from counter and up so it looks quite open and all one space). Unfortunately the leak wasn't noticed until we felt that the carpet between the counter and the dining table was sopping wet. Christopher tried tightening it as best he could. We were not going to deal with paying a plumber on a weekend and we had 5 guests coming over Saturday afternoon. So, I went out Saturday morning and bought a couple of runners to go over the wet carpet.
When I returned home, I vacuumed the living room and hallways really well and dusted. Dishes were done, kitchen clean, it was a nice cool day (72F in July!) and we had the windows open so it was nice and airy rather than being all stuffy from the central H&A. When friends started showing up with food for munching on, my friend Kristen and I (she's the only other girl in our group) started working on snacks. She got the broccoli and cauliflower and other veggies cut up to snack on while I made a huge salad. We try to eat sort of healthy at least. We did also have bags of chips, cheese curls, and tortilla chips with lots of salsa and queso. When we get together, we EAT LOL. I made my favorite Cashew Chicken for dinner with a big platter of brown long grain rice, and I made a loaf of cheese bread. None of us went hungry Saturday!
Just as I put the dish-washing detergent in the dishwasher and was about to turn it on, I heard water. When I opened the kitchen cabinet under the sink, it was pouring down! I told Christopher who excused himself from the party and cane to check it out. he didn't want to try yo fiddle with it during the party, so we decided to turn off the water and deal with it later. Unfortunately with all the food and drink, that meant lots of trips to the bathroom - so poor Faelyn was given the job to go to the manhole cover and turn the water on for the toilet and then off again. It was very unfun to have to announce to the whole group that you had to go to the bathroom. I could tell it bugged Christopher a lot, but I think everyone was OK with it overall. It happens to everyone.
After people went home, he worked on the leak til about 1am. It looked like it was fixed, so we turned on the water and went to bed. Well, I started my chicken and dumplings in the crock-pot first. My family reunion was Sunday.
This morning (Sunday), we were not able to drag ourselves out of bed to make it to Sunday school but we did make it to worship service. Before we left, we checked the water, it looked fine. Christopher and I worked together on shredding the chicken in the crock pot and adding the dumplings so they'd cook while we were at church. We got to church a little late, but that was OK really since it was the big ceremony day for the VBS. My kids hadn't been able to go to the VBS since our church is 30-45 minutes away, and I work nights so no transportation. The service was basically just all the kids' program which was cute. Then we came back home and noticed the leak was back, but not as bad, got the chicken and dumplings and headed for the reunion, 45 minutes away in the other direction!
It was good to see everyone though a lot of the people I normally see weren't there, sadly. Less and less people care about them anymore. There were a few kids there which is always good. I couldn't believe how big my sister's boys are getting.
While I was there, I was told by my brother and sister that an aunt had passed away and they hadn't been able to reach me. They had told Corina who's in NY, but she never told me. I missed the funeral and everything. I do feel bad, and I resent them all my email address and phone numbers. I know I had sent them before.
After the reunion, we had to go to my in-law's house to let Faelyn feed the animals again. She wouldn't stay the night again, and grandpa had bought a ton of snack foods for her to eat while she was there. So he just gave it to her to bring home. I still feel bad that she wouldn't stay. Now I have to drive back there on Tuesday so she can feed the animals again. I'm hoping she'll decide to stay then. My FIL also gave us a bookshelf today. We barely got it into the van, but it fit! He's clearing out a bunch of shelves from the library to accommodate more seating for actual people. I had planned on putting all the shelves he gives us in our bedroom which we're converting into a bedroom/library of our own, but since Faelyn really needed storage for her stuff (she keeps all her Christmas and birthday gifts and in original boxes!), we're putting it into the room she shares with Corina now.
Anyway, my FIL also told us to grab a bunch of paperback books and bring them home (so I kind of wish I did keep the bookshelf now.) It's weird to see people want to just give away books when they're such a collector's thing in our families. But he says he has 10 times as many books on his hard drive than what's in the library. I dunno, just doesn't feel the same to me. I have to have a real book.
So, back home we went finally. Well, we stopped at Lowe's first to get a roll of "Magic Tape" to seal the connections between the fixtures and hoses etc. It's worked well before, so figured it was worth a shot. I wish we had some of that Mighty Putty stuff. He ended up getting really upset with it, and it's obvious that we need to get a plumber out here to fix it and to fix the leaks in the two bathrooms. It's going to mean me having to get a new cash advance probably. I was looking forward to getting them paid off too.
So, tomorrow, Christopher goes back to work 8-5 including having to go to court for a shoplifting case he helped process since he was manager when it happened. And I have a ton of bills to pay, having to get a new cash advance, come home and call plumbers and see if any will come give me a free estimate or can something. I may have to go to Lowes and get a new faucet too. I hate the one I have and I think the connection to it may be part of the problem. I'm actually tempted to see if I can fix it myself and save us a TON of money. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. At least I was able to get one load of his work clothes washed and they're currently hanging in the bathroom drying (our dryer is still dead, BUT it's OK. I loving hanging them outside when I can).
My main problem is that though I was able to get one load of dishes washed, I never had time to unload it and reload it with the rest of the party dishes, so my sink and stove are full and covered in dirty dishes! I even told everyone we weren't using paper/styrofoam plates to be ecofriendly and because I could wash dishes easily... sigh. Yeah I think I need to see if I can fix it myself. Hey I watch DIY shows! Pray for me!
Wow, I don't wonder that you haven't had time to post. Your life has really been busy! For instructions on fixing your sink try eHow.com and see if you can find what you need. It should be something y'all can do yourselves if you have good instructions. Blessings to you!
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